Last Sunday, there was incredible drama at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, though I.K. Kim wished the outcome of the major had been merely an April Fool’s joke.

 

Kim virtually had the victory in her hands when she lipped out her birdie putt on 18, then went to tap in the remaining 1-footer for a Ôpretty sure’ win;  at that point, the only one who might possibly catch her could be Yani Tseng, waiting in the 18^th fairway.  Tseng would have had to eagle the 18th to tie.  But then, the unthinkable happened: Kim missed the 12-inch par putt, which she later said broke off right as it rimmed around the cup.  A stunned gallery didn’t quite know what to do, or say.  Kim was dumbfounded and stood there, hand to her cheek.  She then tapped in the bogey and slipped back down the bridge, which only moments before, she was prepared to cross as the newly reigning Champion.

 

Tseng made a valiant putt at birdie, but that putt too, slid by.  Kim, now tied solely with Sun Young Yoo at 9-under, had to return to the par-5 18^th for the playoff.  I can only imagine the incredible anxiety and plethora of thoughts Kim must have suffered during that long journey to the 18^th tee.  For her to triumph over Yoo would indeed have been a miracle.  Announcers quickly racing through data came up with comparisons of other short putts missed at crucial moments, but none could cite even one player who came back to win after a similar disastrous putting mishap. 

 

As I watched, my heart ached for this young girl, hoping this event won’t haunt every putt under three feet she attempts.  In fact, I was almost relieved when Yoo made her 18-foot birdie putt for the outright playoff victory.  Kim had hit a poor third shot, leaving herself a long putt from off the front of the green.  She knocked it up to about 3 feet, much longer than the one she had missed for the win.  When Yoo drained the birdie, Kim did not have to putt.  Would she have missed that one too?  There is no way she could have ignored those thoughts in light of what occurred 30 minutes earlier  -- and it doesn’t matter how strong she was mentally; you simply can’t disregard an error of such magnitude that effortlessly.

 

As golfers, we know the routine.  We’re going along, playing and putting well, and then for some unknown reason, we miss a shot – or worse, shank one – or our driving collapses or our putting goes south.  Before, we were looking at birdie possibilities and now, bogey is our friend.  The difference here is that the entire world does not play witness, and we’re not suffering through this for a living.

 

But here’s the difference between men’s and women’s professional golf: this story – and remember we are talking an LPGA major – did not even make TV Sports Final Edition in many areas.  I tried to find video today, two days later, of Kim missing the putt....and couldn’t.  I checked for video on The Golf Channel, which televised the event, and still couldn’t find it.  And, wait a minute, wasn’t this a major?  Why wasn’t ABC or NBC or CBS covering the tournament?  Questions with answers I’m not so sure I want to hear.  You can bet that if Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, or Tiger Woods had done this in a major, the headlines would scream news of the mishap to the world...and not solely from the Sports section.

 

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.

 

 

Usually about this time of the year the hibernation syndrome wears off and I am ready to leave winter behind for emerald green fairways surrounded by pristine azure waters.  Almost 25 years ago the same emotion prompted me to discover an island paradise many on this side of the continent don’t even consider:  Bermuda.

 

There are many reasons to visit Bermuda, an island that is pretty much a lone ranger in the Atlantic Ocean about 780 miles from Philadelphia, actually 600 miles due east of Cape Hatteras.  Even though it is relatively close distance-wise, Bermuda truly is a world away.  Its British roots are unquestionably present and, upon paying the Departure Tax as you leave, you’ll find yourself speaking the Queen’s English – with a ÔBloody Hell’ or two escaping your lips. 

 

But since this is a golf blog, we’ll zero in on the great golf that’s abundantly available on an island measuring 22 miles long and two miles at its widest point.  Nine golf courses are spread throughout 21 square miles of land area.  The top two regulation courses on the island are the government owned Port Royal Golf Club and the private Mid-Ocean Club, which you’ve likely seen on TV during the PGA’s Grand Slam of Golf.  But there’s also a dandy par-3 course at the Fairmont Southampton and this year, you can enter the Bacardi National Par-3 Championship which will be contested there March 23-25.  More on that in a moment......

 

Port Royal is available for public play.  Recently renovated in 2008/2009, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. course on the west end of Bermuda should be on your bucket list.  If you can’t play, amend your list and buy a bucket of range balls to enjoy the best downhill driving range ocean view sunset anywhere on the planet.

 

Traveling toward the east end in Tuckers Town, Mid-Ocean is a bit tough, though not impossible, to gain entry.  The Charles Blair MacDonald design will mesmerize you almost as much as coastal views from the opening 4 holes and finishing holes 16 through 18.  An interesting note is that the par-3’s at Mid Ocean represent the four classic styles of Ôshort’ holes: Redan, Biarritz, Long and Short.  Bone up on Golf Course Architecture 101 to determine which is which.  For even more fun, leave the cart in the barn and hire one of the caddies who will provide you with local flair, stories, entertainment, and ample course knowledge.

 

Almost mid-point between the two courses, the Fairmont Southampton Hotel’s marvelous 18-hole Par-3 course beckons.  Don’t let the Par-3 designation fool you into thinking Ôcake-walk’.  Breathtaking views, remarkable conditions, and an enjoyable but tough layout are yours; and, it will take you between one and two hours, at most, to play.

 

In 2010, Bacardi International teamed up with the Fairmont folks to create The Bacardi National Par-3 Championship, a two-day 36-hole tournament that is open to professionals and amateurs, men and women alike.  This year, an open senior division for gentlemen and ladies has been added.  Even if you’re afraid of the word Ôtournament’ and are tightening up just thinking about this......please stop.  It is great fun.

 

Anthony Mocklow, Tournament Director and Director of Golf at the Fairmont Southampton, points out that "the Par-3 competition tests short-game quality and skill rather than strength and distance, leveling the playing field between old and young, men and women. It means that any golfer with a bona fide handicap can play. We are excited because the Bacardi National Par-3 Championship is part of an ongoing effort by The Fairmont Southampton and Bermuda’s golfing community to energize our local golfing product and generate excitement about Golf in Bermuda."  At last year’s event there was excitement galore: yours truly aced the second hole!  There are cars awarded for that feat but unfortunately, not on No. 2.

 

To enter, go to www.Fairmontgolf.com/southampton and download an entry form.  The entry fees are $250 for professionals and $175 for amateurs and include a practice round of golf, tournament fees, continental breakfast on Tournament days, cocktail receptions and prizes. 

 

Plan to stay at the Fairmont Southampton and do ask for the Concierge Level which nets some very special amenities like almost non-stop food service in the lounge, computer access, complimentary work-out clothing, and superb service.  Package information is available at

Fairmont.com/Southampton/hotelpackages.

 

Weather in March should be near perfect with highs in the 70’s, no threat of hurricanes, some trade wind action, and lower humidity.  Another plus is that there are direct and one-stop flights from Philly to Bermuda, sometimes for less than it costs to fly to Florida;  you can be there in a couple hours.  Make sure your Passport is up to date, though no visa is required.

 

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.

 

January is a time for beginning anew.  It’s also a perfect time to analyze your golf game and figure out where you went wrong in 2011.  All the tour players and top amateurs do it and you should too, though maybe not on the scale they do.  Keeping in line with common New Year’s Resolutions, here are some suggestions:

 

Get Clutter-Free:  Houses and work places become filled with all sorts of junk (ever watch Hoarders?) and unless you get rid of it, you are not free to add new and better things; there’s no room to move.  Golf is the same way.  When your head is filled with countless theories, ideas, methods, and advice from too many magazines, commentators, and well-meaning friends it is no wonder you can’t hit a golf ball or play a decent round.  Get rid of the old ways and search out a professional PGA or LPGA golf instructor to help personalize a special plan for you.  No one swings as you do or thinks the same way, so how can any one method be correct for everyone?  Truth is, it can’t.  Don’t fill your head with half-baked swing tips from every source.

 

Treat Yourself to Some Great Destination Golf Programs:  Over the last year I’ve visited some wonderful spots with superb golf programs.  Not only do these places have top-ranked schools, the courses affiliated with them are superb plays too:  take a cross country trip to The Grand Del Mar Resort and Spa on the north side of San Diego, CA.  This Mediterranean-inspired resort has a Tom Fazio layout winding through the hills, but also thorough golf instructional academies which are staffed by professionals who can teach men, women, and juniors equally well.  Juniors and teens can also experience the Titleist Performance Institute Junior Performance Center.  On the far side of the 7-acre practice range is an educational and fun junior golf obstacle Ôcourse’ where kids can learn rotational velocity (the key to optimal swing speed and power), balance and coordination.  Special tees on the Fazio course measure 4824-yards to guarantee a fun experience for the kids.  For more information, go to www.thegranddelmar.com or call 855.314.2030.

 

About an hour from Atlanta, in Greensboro GA, is Reynolds Plantation, a prime resort and private community with 7 golf courses to tackle after you’ve experienced swing and short game analysis at Reynolds Golf Academy.  Search out the talented and pleasant Charlie King or find a TaylorMade professional or representative who can get you into The TaylorMade-adidas Performance Lab and The Kingdom where professional golfers go for custom club analysis and fitting.  Natalie Gulbis was practicing on the range when I was there.....another reason for you gents to head down Georgia way.  Call 800.800.5250 or visit www.reynoldsplantation.com.

 

And who in the frozen north cannot resist heading to Florida in the winter?  Check out PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens where 5 championship golf courses can host everything you’ve just learned at the Dave Pelz Scoring Game School, the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, and the PGA National Club Fitting Lab.  Three-day golf schools, daily clinics, including ladies-only schools, junior camps, and private instruction are available by visiting www.pgaresort.com or calling 866.684.1269.

 

Analyze Your Equipment:  Golf Digest just came out with its equipment Hot List in February’s issue.  Again, there is a plethora of information to sort through and it can be mind-boggling.  Take advantage of a swing analyzer or Launch Monitor to determine what you need.  If your equipment doesn’t fit you, and I don’t care how much you paid for it, you will not max out your talent.  I wish I had a dollar for every driver golfers have bought (for up to $500!!), used a few times, then banished to the garage corner.....or gave away to some other hapless golfer who will also do the same.  Over 20 years ago I was measured for Joe Powell custom clubs.  Joe made gorgeous persimmon drivers, so that tells you how long ago it was, but also crafted beautiful irons as well.  I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I still use the irons.  Yes, I know all about advanced technology and that I need to get into the 21^st century, but because my swing hasn’t changed much in those 20 years, the clubs still work.  OK, OK, I am getting new ones:  I’ve got my eye on Miura Tournament Blade or the CB-202 Cavity Back irons.  See, I am not totally uneducated about these things!

 

Mentor A New Golfer or Bring Back A Former One: Wherever your plans might lead you in 2012, try to play more golf and influence others to do so as well.  Since 2000, the number of golfers has steadily declined, dropping from 30 million to around 25 million.  Core golfers, about 14 million, who annually play 8 or more rounds edge out – just barely – 11 million occasional golfers, who play only a few rounds.  If even one-third of the golfers who currently play any golf at all encouraged just one new person or former golfer to play a round or two, we would have an increase of at least 8 million rounds played!!  Think about it:  those numbers would be an astounding rebound for the industry, unprecedented, actually.  Perhaps MyPhillyGolf-ers should start this right here, right now....or at least when it warms up?  How hard can it be to ask one person to play?

 

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.

Recently, John Daly made a spectacle out of himself by dunking a whole bunch of balls into the drink, Tin-Cup style, after severe frustration over a penalty assessed for hitting a wrong ball out of a bunker on the previous hole.  He ran out of golf balls, thanked his playing partners, and walked into the clubhouse....and basically out of Australia and any chance of being invited back.

 

People are criticizing him about his behavior, which is nothing new.  I must admit to being a John Daly fan in the aftermath of his first PGA win, again in dramatic style, for three reasons: 1) you could easily pick him out of a crowd of PGA pros, and 2) he brought excitement back into the game for everyday folks, and 3) he created a desire for the regular guy to wriggle into the hallowed world of golf. 

 

But then, life got in the way and John couldn’t get out of his own way, reverting back to bad habits and deeds that were all too well chronicled in ex-wife Sherrie’s book, Teed Off.  That book, by the way, was tough to read, not in a cerebral sense, but because by showing the world how badly John acted and how difficult the marriage was, she made herself look worse for getting involved with him in the first place.

 

Rules of any kind – and John Daly – do not co-exist well.   Can anyone commiserate with that feeling?

 

I understand that there must be rules governing games, and life, but the USGA and R&A really need to get back into the real world and examine what is happening in golf.  The numbers are still dismal, people are leaving the Ôofficial’ game, many in frustration over the nit-pickiness of the rules.  The Rules of Golf book is not that large but the Decisions on the Rules of Golf is....oh, my, my.... like the Guinness Book of World Records, expanding exponentially.  Any rule book needing that much explaining is way too complicated for today’s short-attention span and quick-take world.

 

Yes, the Powers-That-Be recently revised the Rules of Golf, but they never seem to take it far enough.  Let’s look at John’s situation.  He played a ball out of a bunker thinking it was his ball.  Inadvertently, there was a range ball there too and he hit that one.  Now you might think Ôhow could he hit a range ball?  Didn’t he identify it?"    Well, you can’t touch a ball in a hazard in order to identify it.  And so, how can you be penalized for playing a ball that you are not allowed to identify?

 

In an older 2000/2001 Decisions book, I reviewed Rule 15 and it does state Ôif a competitor plays a stroke or strokes with a wrong ball, he shall incur a penalty of two strokes – unless the only strokes played with such ball were played when it was in a hazard, in which case no penalty is incurred’.  A bunker is a hazard, but my question is this:  when did the USGA and R&A change that rule?  And why?  The latest version I looked up shows this:  ÔThere is no penalty if a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball that is moving in water in a water hazard. Any strokes made at a wrong ball moving in water in a water hazard do not count in the player's score.’   Moving water???   Why would that be any different than if your ball is in a bunker and you cannot see all of your ball to know it is yours?  Moving water??  Please.

 

You can see where the frustration sets in.  I’ve been stymied all day trying to figure out when this rule was changed, because I surely don’t remember it.  I’ve quoted the rule dozens of times over the years and feel silly that I was unaware of the language change.  And I still don’t get it.

 

If any of you out there in Philly-land would like to comment on some of your favorite, silly rules, please do.  John and I don’t want to be the only ones in a tizzy.

 

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.

 

This is the time when we golfers begin to examine our performance for the year and decide what we’d like to accomplish in the next golf season.  For many, this lament is heard:  ÔWhy can’t I take the game I have on the practice range to the golf course?

It is often said that the longest walk in golf is from the practice range to the first tee.  Not literally, but mentally.  How often have you lasered endless range balls to various greens on the practice tee only to hit it OB or in the woods on the first hole?

Yes, we’ve all been there before.  What happens?  How can our swing change so fast to yield such horrible results?  The truth is, it can’t....and doesn’t.   The only thing that has changed is what is going on in your head.  If you don’t know how to properly focus your thoughts and control your emotions, you’ll never be able to play well – though you may be the best player on the range, able to hit every shot.

Case in point:  Last month I was invited to Reynolds Plantation, about 75 minutes east of Atlanta, Georgia.  Within this gorgeous resort and private golf community lies the Reynolds Golf Academy and The Kingdom, TaylorMade’s haven for the best and latest technological advances in golf swing and club analysis.

As part of our media golf experience, a group of us writers experienced the Academy’s Red Zone Challenge, which pertains to the Ôscoring zone’ otherwise known as the short game.  Normally, a student is measured when they enter the three-day program and again, when they graduate after learning some of top golf teacher Charlie King’s secrets to better golf from 100 yards in.  A short game range at the opposite end of the Lake Oconee Club’s practice complex was built to test the following:  40 - 80 yard pitch, chip shot, bunker shot, lob shot, lag putt, and short putt.  Taking two shots at every station, each attempt was tabulated based on proximity to the hole or scoring circles.  The idea is to measure your shortcomings prior to proper instruction versus improved scores afterwards.  In our case, we did the ÔBefore’ scoring without benefit of Charlie’s expertise. 

For me, the short game has always been my friend.  I learned properly at an early age and really felt little pressure to perform, despite challenges mounted by my esteemed fellow male golf writers.  I scored pretty well and was able to defeat my Ôopponents’ (who will be quick to indicate that it was only by 10 points....) to win a stylish Reynolds Plantation golf shirt.   But that is not the story and why I write about this;  what I witnessed from one of the other writers, is.

Let’s call her Penelope.  Penelope had not played golf for many years and was just getting her game back.  I was paired with her earlier that day and we both looked forward to the round, her because she hoped I’d inspire her to better play, and me because I knew she is so wonderfully gracious and nice.  We both enjoyed the round, laughing and joking at good shots and poor ones alike;  Penelope simply rejoiced at being back on the links.

But then the Red Zone Challenge came.  The happy carefree woman disappeared as soon as she knew she would be Ôtested’.  Despite the fact that she had hit many of these same shots beautifully only hours ago, the look on her face and tension in her voice spoke volumes.  Not surprisingly, she did not do well, even though I tried to encourage her and convince her it was just for fun and didn’t mean anything because she wasn’t expected to do well – only to experience the Red Zone Challenge.   It didn’t matter.  I believe she would rather have faced a cage full of snakes, a pond teeming with alligators, or swim with the sharks.

Why put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to perform?  Usually we only assume that need and we create all sorts of bad thoughts to go along with it.  The trick is to understand that you are often your own worst enemy and toughest critic and that no one else judges you as harshly as you do.  

There is a rule we all need to learn and you won’t find it in the USGA’s Rules of Golf.  I picked this one up from a husband-wife team of youth ministers who used it to formulate self-esteem, fearlessness, and confidence among the teens of the parish.  It is called the 100 Year Rule and goes something like this:

If what you attempt to do today won’t matter or be remembered 100 years from now, why worry?

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.

Questions, questions........After another summer of playing in charity and celebrity outings, I must ask: Aren’t these outings supposed to be fun?  A day to build relationships, do some business, and try not to make a fool of yourself?  Then why do organizers insist on making the course tougher than usual, or inundating us with rules, rules, and more rules?  When are event directors going to figure out that imposing the 'Three Drive Rule', where everyone must use their own drive a minimum of three times, does exactly the opposite of what they want to achieve, that is, to level the playing field?

A month ago I played in yet another event where not only was the Three Drive Rule imposed, they also determined tee selection based on handicap, and then moved ALL of the par-3 tees to the Back Tee - which meant that three out of five tees played 180 - 200 yards, one of them to a peninsula green almost totally surrounded by water.   On that one all of my playing companions, who were actually pretty good players, were in the drink.  I did hit the green with my trusty 5-wood.....but don't think I wasn't sweating a tad.   Most men can't carry the ball that far, so what did the other women do?

Participants in charity scrambles have tried to 'stack' their teams forever, loading them up with big hitters, accurate iron players, and 'touch-of-magic' short game artists, including a good putter;  quite often these individuals never quite rise to the occasion.  But why is the emphasis almost always focused on tee shots?  If anything, restrictions should be made on putting, not driving.  That's where you score.

Think about it:  if you have a team of four good players, the 'Three Drive Rule' means nothing to them.  They’ll still finish strong, more so if the putts drop.  If instead you have a team with one or two good players paired with mediocre or higher handicap players, the Three Drive Rule will actually penalize them considering the pressure mounts as the remaining  team members will fret over the possibility they could hurt their team with poor shots when they're needed.  The good players can help make up for a poor drive, but the added pressure will eventually take its toll.  If you have a team with four high-handicappers, they have no chance at all, no matter what rules you play.

What it amounts to is that he tougher you make the limitations, the more you handicap the not-so-good teams.  Are the prizes you'll win really that valuable or are they mainly for show - another trophy to put on your shelf that someone may notice occasionally?   The Alternative Golf Association (AGA) is on a mission to change the face of golf by making the game more fun.  Charity Scrambles are often many folks' introduction into the game.  Shouldn't their initiation be a pleasant experience versus a white knuckle, scared-to-death 'don't EVER ask me to do this AGAIN!!!' endeavor?

There are other ways to even up the charity scramble field but none are truly optimal, depending on where you fit in.  As a low handicap golfer, I despise the 'drop-back' format where the person whose shot was last used cannot hit the next one - including tapping in a 6-inch putt.  Not much incentive to make that birdie putt, is there - knowing you are OUT on the next tee shot?    Golfers with a 10-handicap or under miss playing half of the course!  Or, there is the format where tees are designated according to handicap.  This doesn't really work either because quite often, higher handicap players can sometimes hit the ball pretty far - they just aren't as accurate.  If your tournament chooses to do that, could you please remember that women's handicaps are not really equivalent to men's and that a woman with a 3-handicap will not want to play the Black Tees, where the Men's 0-8 handicaps will play?  You'll need to adjust those tee box selections because it's a totally different situation with regard to course design and playability.  More than once I've seen rules sheets that designated 'Janina' tees!  Thanks, but no thanks.

Another format that's used and not so much fun either is the 'team handicap must add up to more than 40'.  People lie about their handicap or can manipulate it however they wish;  for example, as a woman, I could say I was a 15-handicap and anyone who didn't know me would think that was a great handicap - for a woman.....but I play to a 4.  Men's and women's handicap numbers may look the same, but they do play differently;  I cannot pretend that my 4-handicap equates totally to a man who carries a 4.  This shows up the most on long par-4's or par-5's where my fairway woods cannot carry like a man's shot.  Of course I do make up for it from 150 yards in; also, shouldn't you be able to play with who you want rather than selecting your partners by number?   We are numbers almost everywhere else in society.  Not on the golf course, please!

The best bet is to just let everyone play.  If you really want to maintain control over who wins something, adjust the awards.  Sure, you can give low score First Place trophies and prizes because you'll suffer slings and arrows if you don't, but instead of Second and Third Place based on score, match the awards with a blind draw.  Pick 13th place or 20th place to receive prizes.  Last place is usually a good one too.  That way, even the four high-handicappers team will actually have a chance to win something.

There's also something else you can do:  even up the field - and collect more money - by offering a $20-$50 per team novelty package:  The String-Kick-Toss.   I played in an event where you received a 20-foot string which you could use it in any way you wished:  get out of the water, 'make' putts that sat on the lip, move from rough to fairway, etc.  Every time you used a length of string, you cut it off until there was no more.  Then, you'd also get a Kick.  Remember how you've always said 'I could have KICKED it in from there?’  Here’s your chance to prove it.   And how about a Bocce ball style toss?  Many golfers are bowlers too, so you could Ôbowl’ it as well as Bocce it.  You pick when and where.  No, it won't hold up play.

Remember that the majority of golfers can't break 100.  Shouldn't the event cater to that fact and make it fun for more golfers to play, knowing that they may just win something?  Anything?

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.

 

 

As much as we all would like to introduce our friends, family, and business associates to the game, please remember there is a proper time and place.  Numbers of golfers and how much they play continue to dwindle and I think we’ve figured out it is up to us, not the PGA, the LPGA, the USGA, or local golf organizations to boost those numbers......but it has to be done correctly or you’ll lose a potential golfer forever.

 

This summer I played in numerous charity golf outings and promised myself that if I came across one more Ôbaby’ golfer who was exposed to the game in this manner, a column about it would materialize.  In this case, a Ôbaby’ golfer refers to someone who has never set foot on the course, never had a lesson, or knows nothing about the fundamentals or etiquette of the game, yet is expected to contribute to the team.  Here, the baby golfer was a business associate of the team’s host.  While the intentions were good, the reality is a different story.  I do, however, give this brave woman – let’s call her Polly - credit for accepting the invitation even though she knew she was way out of her league. 

 

This particular golf outing is hugely attended and a very slow go, anyway; but it was soon evident the day would be much longer and frustrating watching Polly’s reluctance and terror each time it was her turn, knowing she’d swing and miss, dub the ball, or flail away trying.  Coupled with the fact that our team consisted of three women: me, and a senior fellow who was a friend of a friend of the foursome’s host (meaning, she didn’t know him at all) and who was also a jaded former pro who had no time for women let alone patience for a beginner, I knew that if I didn’t step in to help Polly, you could chalk up one more person who would never want to play the game again.

 

I have never been a professional golfer, but as a former scratch handicap now playing to a 4, many people think of me as a pro.  For the record, I do not instruct, officially, but I do know a bit about the golf swing, the game, and course management, having played tournament golf for over 45 years.   And, I will help playing companions simply because I can’t stand to watch them struggle when I can do something about it.....but only if they ask for help.

 

Polly was coachable and not uncoordinated.  While we were waiting, I took her aside and worked with her on the two’ biggies’ of the golf swing: set-up and alignment, then gave her a basic swing path through the hitting area.  No mechanics, no complicated techniques, just back and through.

 

Putting was even simpler:  I asked her to pretend she was a Grandfather Clock’s (do people still have those?) pendulum, straight-arming the putter back and through, hanging the putter loosely and letting the ball get in the way.  Then, I’d line her up, picking a spot a few inches in front of the ball to aim at and roll the ball over, and asked her to take the putter back this far and follow through to there, for distance control.  It was truly amazing the transformation taking place:  now she had a plan, some direction, was able to hit a few good shots and almost made some putts.  The biggest difference was the smile on her face because she was having fun.  She is excited about the game and wants to take lessons so she can learn to play better.  I am positive that had I not stepped in, her last shot in that charity outing would have been her last shot....ever.

 

Before you invite someone to play golf -- business or otherwise -- ask your intended guest if they have ever actually played before.  If they haven’t, you may want to consider another person.  The most important job as ÔHost’ of any event, including golf outings, is to assure the comfort of your guest.  I can guarantee that a true beginner will not be comfortable thinking he or she appears inept at anything.  

 

For women, it is even more vital to be somewhat accomplished.  As far as women have come in the business world, we are still not regarded as equals on the golf course, unless we are good players.  And even then, playing from the Forward Tees is also viewed as something Ôless’ in the eyes of most men.  Silly?  Yes, considering the majority of males aren’t good golfers and should be playing from more forward tees too.  In a mixed environment, an unskilled woman golfer is tolerated but not welcome, inducing much eye-rolling and head-shaking.

 

Ladies, you need to take responsibility for this too.  If you are not capable of the following, do not accept an invitation to play golf until you can:

 

1)    Make contact with the ball every time you swing;

2)    Get the ball airborne most times, usually hitting it about 80-100 yards;

3)    Hit the ball where you aim – at least somewhat;

4)    At least two or three-putt consistently, maybe one-putting on occasion;

5)    Play FAST and pick up if you reach double digits;

6)    Be ready to play with tees, ball markers, and ball mark repair tools handy;

7)    Know some fundamentals of course management

8)    Know basic rules of the game:  OB, water hazards, bunkers, lost ball

9)    Know the etiquette; buy a USGA Rules of Golf book and read the first chapter.

 

Men, take a look at this list too; I’ve played with many who couldn’t pass this test either.

 

Janina Parrott Jacobs, or the Silver Fox, is a multi-media consultant specializing in golf, business, music, nutrition, fitness and women’s issues.  She blogs about golf at The A Position. A 4 handicap, she lives in Michigan.  Her full bio is here.